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(NoModeI.) W. C. POOLE 8v J. SCI-INRP?.

w ELECTRICAL ANNUNCIA-TOR.

10.367,925. Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

Inven'ors:

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-UNITED ySTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM'O. POOLE AND JOHN SOHNEPF, OF NEWT YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,925, dated August 9, 1887.

Application filed December 1S, 1856. Serial No.221,9l7. (No model.)

' of our improved electrical annunciator; and

Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Our invention relates to that class of annunciators in which the drop or lindex plate constituting the visual signal is thrown out of its concealed position and brought to view by the movement of the armature of an electro-magnet when the latter is excited by an electric current. Y

In the annunciators of this class as heretofore constructed the pivoted signal, or index-v plate or drop, when actuated by the movement of the armature, turns upon its pivot in anarc of ninety degrees or more, so as to drop from an upright or rearwardly-inclined position, wherein it remains normally concealed from view, to a vertical pendent position in which its rear face bearing the signal character yis brought to sight. The action of the armature in this case serves merely to -move the plate out ofthe perpendicular far enough'to allow it to swing forward and turn over by its gravity, to bring to View its rear face bearing the signal number, word, or letter. -In these annunciators the index-plate must necessarily be light and small, and be mounted so far back of the glass face of the case in which it is placed as to allow space for the plate to turn upon its axis and clear the glass in` its movement, and .when the plate has thus turned over into View it must be lifted and turned up into its first 5o plate can be returned to its normal position.

The object of our invention is not only to eounterbalance the plate and armature as that a `plate of any desired size may be actuated by a comparatively weak current or a small magnet.

We have attained our object by the construction qf an anuunciator, as hereinafter described, in which the pivoted index or signal plate lies normally out of sight in a horizontal plane, Vinto' which it falls automatically by its gravity when left free, and is pushed up and held in a vertical position, so as to bring its faceto View against the glass face of the case, by means of a pin or rod actuated by the pivoted armature of a magnet whose frame and core are made of cast-iron or steel and permanently magnetized, so as to hold the armature automatically after it has been attracted thereto until it is mechanically released there= from by suitable means, the pivoted armature being furthermore counterbalanced so that it will easily lift the index-plate, even though it be of large' size.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 a sectional view, of my annunciator.

A represents the frame by which the electro- 'magnets, the vibrating armature, and the index-plate for the anuunciator are supported. This frame is made of cast-iron or steel, and the cores B B for the electro-magnets O O are cast in one piece with the frame. The armatur'e D is also made of cast-iron or steel, and is formed integrally with an arm or lever, E, pivoted to the lower portion of the frame A, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the armature may freely vibrate to and from the magnets O O. The magnets are preferably mounted in a Vertical position, their supporting-frame A being secured by a screw, F, to the case of the annunciator, or to a standard, G, so that the armature-lever shall swing in vertical plane and maintain a nearly horizontal position beneath the magnets. v

An index-plate or signal-tablet, H, of suit- IOO fully to view above the magnet,

able dimensions is pivoted at one edge to the top of the frame above the cores B B of the magnets, so as to drop flat into a horizontal position over said top plate of the frame and be thereby concealed from view, (see Figs. l and 2,) and swing up therefrom into a vertical position, to thereby bring its upper front face (See dotted lines in Fig. 2.)

A rod or pin, J, is carried vertically through an aperture in the top plate of the frame, ininiediately back of the pivotal axis of the indexplate, and, passing down between the electroinagiiets C C, rests upon the armature D, lwhile its upper end is brought to bear against said indexplate H close to its pivotal axis. The rod is so proportioned in length as that when the armature D is released and drawn away from the magnets the upper end of the rod will drop far enough to allow the indexplate H to fall over into a horizontal position, as shown by the positive lines in Fig. 2; but when the armature is drawn up against the magnets the rod is lifted sniiiciently to turn the indexplateup into a vertical position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and there support it.

In order to steady the movement of the rod or pin J, it is preferably inelosed in a tube, L, which is made fast to the top plate of the frame A, to depend therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper end of the rod J is fitted with a rounded head or button, M, so as to reduce its friction with the index-plate as it operates to force the latter up.

The index-plate is prevented from tipping or dropping forward by means of a stop, K, or by striking against the glass plate which covers the opening in the front plateof the annuneiatorcase, through which the iiidex-plate is exposed to view when thrown up.

A weight, l?, is affixed to the shorter arm of the armature-lever E beyond its pivot, so as to Counterbalance the weight of its longer arm and of the armature D aiid rod J, carried thereby, and thereby leave the armature free to move toward the electro-magnets under a very slight impulse; hence but a comparatively slight current will suffice to pi'oduee the attraction needed to draw the armature into contact and thereby lift the index-plate.

rlhe cast-iroii frame A and the cores B B, formed in one piece therewith, as also the armature D, are permanently magnetized, so that when the armature D is drawn into contact with the magnets G C it will remain in contact therewith after the current through the coils of the magnets is interrupted or cut oft', and thereby liold the rod J up in position to support the index-plate H in its upright position exposed to view. So soon as the armature is released from the magnets and drops away therefrom, the rod J, dropping with it, will leave the index-plate unsupported and free to swing back by gravity into its normal horizontal position out of view. The release of the armature D may be effected mechanically in various ways-as, for example, by a crankshaft, R, fitted to bear against thelower end of the weight P, which depends from the inner end of the leverEat a right angle thereto. The crank being brought to bear against the weight, to force it rearwardly, will cause the lever to turn upon its axis and draw the armature down away from the magnets.

It is evident that the weight may be cast or formed in one piece with the lever E, and that it may also be fitted to the inner end of the lever in the iear of the fiame A, at m, instead of depending therefrom. Theinstrument will bc thereby vrendered more compact, and we contemplate so constructing the instrument.

The rod J is preferably permanently magnetized, so as to be held by magnetic attraetion in contact with the armature and be thereby positively drawn down with the armatui'e when it drops.

In the use of the annunciator constructed as described, when the electric circuit is closed through the wires S S' bythe occupant of a room whose number is indicated on the plate H, the electro-magnets, becoming excited, will attract and lift the armature D. The rod J will be thereby elevated, and its upper end, bearing against tlie pivoted plate H, will turn it into a vertical position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that its face bearing the numeral corresponding to the number of the room will become visible through the glasscovered opening in the case containing the instrument. The upper ledge of the index-plate striking the glass, or

a stop, K, in place thereof, will be prevented thereby from falling forward, while the pin J will be kept in its elevated position back of the plate, to prevent it from dropping backward by reason of the attraction of the permanently-niagnetized cores B B for the armature. The armature D is withdrawn from the magnets and the index-plate consequently allowed to drop back automatically after it has been seen and noted by rotating the crankrod R so as to bring the crank to bear against the weight and thereby move the armaturelever away from the magnet, so that the rod J may drop. Vhen the rod J drops, the weight of the free end of the pivoted indexplate will cause it to fall over out of siglitiiito its horizontal position, as shown by the positive lilies in Figs. 1 and 2.

The entire instrument is very compact, and being constructed of the fewest possible partsviz., the frame and. cores cast in one piece, the armature and its lever cast in another piece, theindex-plate made of sheet metal, the spools fitted upon the cores to complete the magnets, and the elevating-rod, all united in simple inannerwits cost is reduced to a minimum.. It obviates, also, wholly the disadvantages at: tendant upon the trips and catches used in other forms of annunciators. As the indexplate is held positively in position when brought to view, it cannot drop back under the effects of a jar or blow, but will remain in IOO ', gravity into a horizontal position out of sight,

and a. rod interposed between the armature and index-plate, operating, when the armature is attracted by the magnet, to throw the indexplate up into sight in a vertical position and there support it, substantially in the manner y and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the electromarg,`- net, in an electrical annunciator, of the cast iron supporting-frame formed integral 'with the core or cores of the electro-magnets, the castiron armature and lever formed in one piece and pivoted to said frame, the indexplate likewise pivoted to thc frame, and the rod actuated. by the armature and actuating the index-plate, all substantially in the mannerand for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, in an electrical annnciator, with the pivoted index-plate, the pivoted armature-lever and armature, and a rod or pin interposed between the armature and index-plate, of a weight attached to or formed upon the shorter arm of the vibrating lever to counterbalance the weight of its longer arm and armature, and 0f the rod and indexplate Supported thereby, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The combination of an electro-magnet, a pivoted ar1nature-lever and armature, and a pivoted index-plate adapted to drop out of sight by gravity, of a magnetized rod interposed between the armature and index-plate to be held or jointed to the armature by magnetic attraction, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our naines to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

XVM. C. POOLE. JOHN SOHNEPF. Vitnesses:

A. N; JEsBERA,

A. STAvERs. 

